December 9th, 2009

York Daily News reports:

Assorted thoughts on assorted subjects:

          Get a shot: It’s hard to believe that we are well into December, and not all local school districts have yet received H1N1 flu vaccines.

Several local districts were getting the vaccine this week.

But even with those students protected against “swine flu,” there will still be five school districts in York County after next week that have not yet received the vaccine.

Well, at least there’s good news: That flu hasn’t been as virulent as many worried it would be. The new infection rate seems to be waning.

That doesn’t mean there’s no danger, though: The flu has caused some 60 deaths statewide this year — including a youngster from Littlestown.

And health officials said there will almost certainly be a third wave of infections — the first was this spring, the second is going on now, and no one is certain when the next wave will hit.

But the slow rollout and distribution of the vaccine is worrisome. What if this second wave had proved much more potent and deadly? How would we have fared? And might some of those 60 people have been spared if it had been possible to make the vaccine available in adequate supplies sooner?

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security and think, “Well, the flu season is practically over now — no need to get that shot.”

At the very least, make sure your kids take advantage of school-based vaccination programs.